


Clip His Wings

by Animedemon01



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 02:21:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20382088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Animedemon01/pseuds/Animedemon01
Summary: “Your own parents didn’t care enough to keep you off the streets, so why do you think Carmen Sandiego would want to help you? She’ll just use you and discard you when you’re done. I just want to protect you from people that might hurt you, Dash; I only want what’s best for you.”Countess Cleo won't let Dash leave that easily.





	Clip His Wings

Dash Haber had only been to the island twice before; once at the beginning of his employment, and another time when he’d fallen ill with pneumonia. Both times he had traveled to the island with Countess Cleo, but this time he hadn’t been brought there by her; instead he was simply told to meet her there.

The Countess’s quarters weren’t difficult to find, and Dash found himself there earlier than he had expected. Nevertheless, Countess Cleo was still there waiting for him, answering the door only a few seconds after he had knocked.

“I didn’t expect you so soon.” She said simply. “Come in.”

The Countess’s dwelling opened up into an elaborate living room with two hallways stretching far in either direction. Dash expected no less from her.

“Sit down; we need to talk.” She told him, motioning towards a scarlet Victorian sofa. “But first, I have to feed Theodore.”

By the window opposite the door stood an elaborate golden bird cage containing a single colorful finch that Dash assumed to be Theodore. The bird was a beautiful, little thing, colored with bright markings of red, yellow, black and green. The creature was oddly quiet.

As Countess Cleo opened the cage, the bird made no attempt at escape.

“I had his wings clipped.” She explained, filling the bird’s food bowl with seed. “He can’t get far.”

The Countess didn’t bother closing the bird’s cage before sitting down across from Dash.

“You thought I wouldn’t find out.” She said, staring deep into his eyes.

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He sputtered.

Of course he knew what she was talking about. When he started working for her a few years ago, he’d been treated well. The pay was low, but he was provided with anything he could ever need. But as time went on, he was being forced to work longer and longer hours. On a good day he might get four or five hours of sleep, but often he’d be working for days without sleep. This, of course, would take its toll on his body, but Countess Cleo always treated him like a burden when he’d ask for a day or two off to recover.

It had been Carmen Sandiego who had offered him a chance of escape. Working for VILE, he had been conditioned to hate her, but she didn’t seem nearly as terrible as they made her out to be. When she’d originally reached out to him to leave VILE and work for her, he assumed she only wanted him for his knowledge of VILE, however limited it may be. But after talking with her more, it seemed as if she genuinely cared about his wellbeing and wanted him to leave for his own good. He had been planning to meet up with her in a months’ time in order to finally leave VILE behind. He’d been so careful with his plans. How did Countess Cleo find out about it?

Without warning, she slapped him across the face. “Don’t you dare play dumb with me; I know everything! After all I’ve done for you, you think you can just leave? I’m the only person who cares about you; without me you’d have nothing.

“Your own parents didn’t care enough to keep you off the streets, so why do you think Carmen Sandiego would want to help you? She’ll just use you and discard you when you’re done. I just want to protect you from people that might hurt you, Dash; I only want what’s best for you.”

She reached under the chair she was seated on and pulled out a metal pipe. “Now, this is going to hurt a bit, but you have to understand that I’m doing it for your own good. I can’t protect you if you disobey me, so I have to make sure that you can’t.”

Dash tried to run away, but Countess Cleo was surprisingly fast. He couldn’t even reach the door before she struck him with all her strength. The pipe made contact with his leg with a sickening crack. He fell to the ground, screaming in pain.

The Countess gave a light chuckle. “You never did have much of a pain tolerance, now did you?”

Dash could barely make out what she had said as the pain became too much and everything went black.

He expected to wake up in the infirmary, but instead Dash found himself laying on that same red couch. A fur blanket had been draped over his body. His leg had been propped up with pillows, but it hadn’t been bandaged in any way. The pain was still there.

Countess Cleo, upon noticing that he was awake, walked over and knelt down beside the couch.

“I think you’ve learned your lesson about defying me now.” She said, stroking his hair. “I’ll have someone from the infirmary come down and deal with your leg. I’d have you sent there, but I think it would be best if you were under my direct supervision for the time being.”

Dash gave only whimper in response.


End file.
